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Special Features

Disc 1• Feature Film

Disc 2• Game Maker: Suzanne Collins and the Hunger Games Phenomenon• The World is Watching: Making the Hunger Games• Letters from the Rose Garden• Controlling the Games• A Conversation with Gary Ross and Elvis Mitchell• Propaganda Film• Marketing Archive

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen volunteers in her younger sister's place and must rely upon her sharp instincts when she's pitted against highly trained Tributes who have prepared their entire lives. If she's ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

Amazon.com

Building on her performance as a take-no-prisoners teenager in Winter's Bone, Jennifer Lawrence portrays heroine Katniss Everdeen in Gary Ross's action-oriented adaptation of author-screenwriter Suzanne Collins's young adult bestseller. Set in a dystopian future in which the income gap is greater than ever, 24 underprivileged youth fight to the death every year in a televised spectacle designed to entertain the rich and give the poor enough hope to quell any further unrest--but not too much, warns Panem president Snow (Donald Sutherland), because that would be "dangerous." Hailing from the same mining town, 16-year-olds Katniss and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson, The Kids Are All Right) represent District 12 with the help of escort Effie (an unrecognizable Elizabeth Banks) and mentor Haymitch (a scene-stealing Woody Harrelson). At first they're adversaries, but a wary partnership eventually develops, though the rules stipulate that only one contestant can win. For those who haven't read the book, the conclusion is likely to come as a surprise. Before it arrives, Ross (Pleasantville) depicts a society in which the Haves appear to have stepped out of a Dr. Seuss book and the Have-Nots look like refugees from the WPA photographs of Walker Evans. It's an odd mix, made odder still by frenetic fight scenes where it's hard to tell who's doing what to whom. Fortunately, Lawrence and Hutcherson prove a sympathetic match in this crazy, mixed-up combination of Survivor, Lost, and the collected works of George Orwell. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Synopsis

Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, the Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen volunteers in her younger sister’s place to enter the games, and is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy when she’s pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

About the Author

SUZANNE COLLINS first made her mark in children’s literature with the New York Times bestselling Underland Chronicles for middle grade readers. Her debut for readers aged 12 and up, The Hunger Games was an instant bestseller, appealing to both teen readers and adults. It has appeared on the New York Times bestseller list for more than 180 consecutive weeks/more than three consecutive years since publication. Suzanne Collins also had a successful and prolific career writing for children’s television. In 2010 Collins was named to the TIME 100 list as well as the Entertainment Weekly Entertainers of the Year list. In 2011 Fast Company named her to their 100 Most Creative People in Business.

Meet the Characters

Katniss Everdeen

The Tribute who becomes a heroine when she volunteers to take her sister’s place in the Hunger Games.

Peeta Mellark

The male Tribute from District 12, who has long harbored secret feelings for Katniss.

Gale Hawthorne

Katniss’s fellow hunter, rebel and best friend, who is heartbroken when she volunteers and departs for the Games.

Haymitch Abernathy

Victor of the 50th Hunger Games, now the rarely sober mentor for Katniss and Peeta.

Effie Trinket

Katniss’s elaborately-coiffed escort and PR handler for the Games.

Cinna

Katniss’s personal Stylist for the Games who becomes her unexpected confidante and supporter.

"Hunger Games" is certainly the best film I have seen since many many months, and it is a very successful adaptation of an excellent book.

In my personal opinion, both the book and the film are much deeper and much more ambitious, than what most critics and reviewers would make us believe. After reading the reviews in "New York Times", "Le Monde" and on "Msn.com" (to cite only few) I was surprised that they mostly missed everything that is important in this film. With a kind of amused superiority, which people from Capitol in this movie would immediately recognize, the "professional" reviewers pointed at the obvious allusions to gladiator fights, the reality shows, the importance of trashy entertainment in today's TV, the search for a new franchise able to replace "Twilight", etc., etc.

But they almost entirely failed to see, that this film is first and above all about much more important things: how to keep hope, not lose the courage and preserve humanity and dignity under a totalitarian oppressive regime.

I believe that almost everybody now knows that when writing "Hunger Games" Susan Collins attempted basically a modern (even futurist) retelling of the old Greek myth of Theseus and Minotaur. According to this ancient tale, after losing a war, every year the city of Athens had to send a tribute of seven young men and seven maidens to the king of Crete. Once there the young people were locked in the Labyrinth, to be devoured by the monster Minotaur. This yearly punishment and humiliation lasted until Theseus, crown prince of Athens, volunteered to be one of the tributes and once locked in the Labyrinth he defeated and killed the Minotaur.

In "Hunger Games" what was once United States (and I think also Canada) is now called the Panem.Read more ›

Director Gary Ross's version of Suzanne Collins's HUNGER GAMES manages to sanitize the entire concept of kids-killing-kids in order to produce a PG-13 blockbuster that's sure to rake in the big bucks. But what was devastating and heart-wrenching in the novel is glossed over and prettified here, leaving me feeling none of the emotional impact I experienced in reading the book.

[**SPOILER WARNING** I'm assuming readers are familiar with the novel, so some plot elements will be discussed in this review.]

Don't get me wrong, this is a slick and well-made film, with plenty of action and a sensational performance from Jennifer Lawrence as heroine Katniss Everdeen. The settings are well done, especially the Capitol in all its crazy-colored chic-ness and over-the-top luxury. District 12, the poorest district in Panem, is believably presented as well, complete with starving people dressed in rags and walking like zombies to their depressing jobs. The scene of the "Reaping" is chillingly done, and the scenes of Katniss and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) getting primped and trained in the Capitol hit perfect satiric notes (it's all so "reality TV," which is what makes it all so believable).

What doesn't work are the scenes of the Games themselves. From the start, Ross misses the mark. When the Games are seconds from beginning, the 24 teens are standing in a semi-circle, staring down at weapons and backpacks strewn about around the Cornucopia as they wait for the countdown to hit zero. We need to feel what they're feeling. We need to feel their terror, their horror, and yes, even their excitement. But Ross doesn't let us feel any of that.Read more ›

I understand that with any adaptations from books to movies, you lose a lot of the background & character work. It's difficult to really interpret the author's written words on screen. I think there were a lot of wasted opportunities here to layer more of the background underneath the scenes. Too much & it drags the pace down. Too little & the characters become more shallow, less layered. You want to care about the majority of these characters & I really was drawn in by them in the book. The movie left me wanting. While the action of the movie is important, it's not the most important part of it. I feel as if the whole premise of the books was lost in trying to ramp it up with action & with the action not even occurring where I really wanted it to be.

I wanted to like this movie more & had I not read the book first, I probably would have. However, reading the book first provides so much back story that you can actually follow what's going on & understand the 'why's & 'how's that I think are, for the most part, lost in the movie.

The movie was very good and overall I liked it. The acting was good and the characters believable. However, the idea of having children fight each other as a sort of sport...to the death is disturbing. Further, to televise this sport of children killing other children to win the prize of food for their village with deranged adults amused by the "show" is sick. It reminds my of historical "games" that were also to the death back in the Roman Colosseum. The movie was marketed to teens and young adults which makes me wonder what impact it will have on them. Certainly, it was the topic of significant discussion with my teenager following our viewing. I recommend that parents use caution when allowing young people to watch this movie. It has the power to be an excellent history lesson as well as driving home points about courage, mercy and self reliance. I recommend viewing with an adult who will actively discuss the contents with the young person to avoid any negative feelings, thoughts or impressions the movie could leave.

My daughter was disappointed that she didn't get the pre-ordered DVD until Tuesday which was three days after it came out. In previous times, I've always received pre-order DVDs via mail on the day that they were released. Unfortunately, she is going to have to return this DVD copy since it has... Read More

Sadly, not very many people care about transfer, inserts, and extras. They want to know if the movie is worth buying on this website focused on buying goods online. For an old movie being converted to Blu-Ray or a re-release I can see about caring about what was done with the transfer or what new... Read More

Download on your desktop to Ultra Violet/VuDu to Go (open accounts in both). Open a Flixster account on your desktop (doesn't work as well on kindle fire for some reason). Log into Ultra Violet through Flixster account. Download Flixster app onto kindle fire and go to My Content tab at the top... Read More